Detroit Pistons: Extension more likely than trade for Isaiah Stewart

The Detroit Pistons have a number of things on their plate this offseason, including what to do with their own guys.

They have players with team options and several who are due for extensions this summer, so the Pistons will have to decide whether to offer guys like Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Killian Hayes extensions or let them play out the final year of their deals and become free agents.

Detroit may have created a logjam at center when they traded for James Wiseman this past season, and it’s very possible that one of their four big men will get moved in a trade this summer.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, some executives around the league thought the acquisition of Wiseman might make Stewart available.

This seems extremely unlikely given the fact that Isaiah Stewart is one of the best defenders on the team and is the type of versatile, switchable big that teams are leaning on in the playoffs this season.

Detroit Pistons: Extension more likely than trade for Isaiah Stewart

It seems far more likely that Beef Stew will be one of (if not the only) the players from the 2020 Draft class that gets his extension this summer, as it’s hard to see the Detroit Pistons offering up new contracts to Wiseman or Killian Hayes.

Pistons’ beat reporter James Edwards III agrees and had this to say about Scotto’s statement about Stewart’s availability:

"“I would be stunned if Isaiah played anywhere else anytime soon – stunned – based on conversations I’ve had. I’ve felt very confident that Stewart would be here, and the Wiseman thing was more of a gamble on potential than we’re trying to find a replacement…I’d be very surprised (if he’s traded). I think he will sign an extension this summer. I think that’s far more likely. I know how much they value Stewart in Detroit.”"

Troy Weaver said as much this past season when he said that losing Stewart to injury was just as devastating to the team as losing Cade Cunningham.

The smart money is on Stewart signing a reasonable extension to stay in Detroit and that the Pistons look to move one of Marvin Bagley III or James Wiseman instead.